Different Conflict Situations In A Diverse Workplace

Joanne Barrett, a recruitment specialist states that when in a workplace with employees of different cultures, backgrounds, beliefs and values, conflict is bound to happen. Showing respect towards fellow colleagues in the organisation is important as to help solve it.

Barret suggested that employers and employees should be encouraged to educate one another about their own cultures, beliefs and values. Becoming aware of other cultures would help create unity, mindfulness, and respect.

Barret says that respecting one another would help us understand and learn from each other’s beliefs, values, cultures and social structures. It would in return lower prejudice in the workplace.

How you handle conflict will determine business operations. Conflict is unavoidable in the workplace; however, listening, being accommodating, and mindful of how you say things is important.

I agree with Barrett’s views about diverse workplace conflict. It is always important to respect each other, in the workplace and outside, and by being aware of different cultures would help lower prejudices. This could lead to increased employee morale, motivation, production, sales, performance and efficiency. It would also lower employee turnover, and staff absences.

However, everyone is different as indicated throughout the paper, and not everyone is open to learning about different cultures if it has no relevance to their work or pay check at the end of the month. It is also against human rights and legislative rights to force employees to attend cultural classes.

In order to reduce or resolve conflict in a diverse workplace, all employees and employers should be committed to encouraging all members to become aware and celebrating each members uniqueness. Proper training for employers and employees would be beneficial to reduce preconceived assumptions of a particular group of people.

Management need to recognise that not all conflict is based upon cultural differences and try and investigate maybe underlying language or communication misinterpretation could be the cause. Provide documentation in the language best understood to each party, as well as allowing the use of interpreters.

Create awareness of all the cultures in the workplace by hosting cultural events which could create better understanding and tolerance amongst employees. This would encourage education on different cultures and create opportunities for others to better understand body language, social norms and customs that could ultimately increase and lead to better problem solving.

The company should have a zero tolerance policy implemented to help guide and ensure that all employees are treated fairly. It is also beneficial to have programmes to help with diversity issues in the workplace. It would also improve skills of workers that require language comprehension with employees or clients.

Conflict in the workplace is not necessarily bad if it results in problem solving and the generation of new ideas. It is therefore important to train and educate staff members on how to become more culturally sensitive and aware of all the different cultures while educating people on their own culture. Unique methods of problem solving that could ultimately be used as more efficient practicing methods, as well as better and more creative content being produced.

In conclusion, I think it is important to train and educate all employees through cultural events that would expose them to different people with different sets of skills. It is important to appreciate individual uniqueness and what they are able to contribute to the workplace. Communication plays a key role as well as respect and tolerance for others in the workplace. Handling conflict may be difficult and tiresome but could ultimately be used as constructive conflict that would enhance your business and maybe even give it a competitive advantage.